Wire-hook bill-file.



PATENTED JUNElQ, 1906. F. L. WEST & 0. J. KORTZ. WIRE HOOK BILL FILE.

APPLICATION FILED I'EB.13, 1906.

INVENTORS ATTEST 2M;zg

AT'IIY.

- UNITED srArEs PATENT onnron.

FRANK L. WEsr AND'CONRAD J. KORTZ, or CLEVELAND, OHIO. WIRE-HOOK BILL-FILE,

ire. seaeee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iratented June 19, 1906.

Application filed February 13, 1906- Serial No. 300,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK L. WEST and CONRAD J .KoRrz, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements larly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear view of the invention complete, 'show-.

mg an outline of the cardboard or placard, the metallic plate thereon, and the hook connected therewith, as hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation, of the invention. Fig. 4 is a bottom edge view of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionon line xix, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the disk or engaging plate.

Inasmuch as devices of this kind are used mostly as advertising novelties, they should be comparatively inexpensive in manufacture as well as possessed of such utility and simplicity as will recommend them to the public. Hence our invention is made with three parts onlya cardboard or placard A, also referred to as a flexible board, a wire a hook B, and an engaging and locking plate 0 for fixing the hook operatively upon said cardboard or board A. As to the said part A, it usually is made of a suitably stiff cardboard, pasteboai'd, orthe like and provided with an eyelet or hole a for hanging it upon the wall; but it may be made of any other suitable material, such as wood or metal.

The hook B has a hook portion 2 and a stem or shank 3, engaged beneath or in a depression, groove, or channel 4, struck up in plate C, and said plate has flexible ears or lugs c integral with its edge oppositely, which are projected through suitable slits or holes in board A and bent at right angles on the face thereof, so as to hold said plate perma nently and firmly on said board. In this way the metal plate C is fastened to the back or board A without the use of any added means, and the cost of construction is kept to the minimum possible in this particular.

Respecting hook B, two things especially are desirable'that it should pack flat against the cardboard at'all points for shipping and that it should be firmly locked in using position, Fig. 3, both as against being pulled out and against rocking or rotating when in said position. 7 To these ends I provide thestem 3 of thehook between its ends with a substantially right-angled shoulder bend or projection 5, forming both a locking-catch against pulling the hook out of its engagements and against lateral rocking thereof, and in this connection as a further and important feature of the invention I form an open-walled slot 6 in the back of channel 4, between the ends thereof and approximately one-third the length of said channel. The material at the sides of said slot is thrown out into parallel walls 7, and the mouth to said channel is bent outwardly, forming a flaring lip 8 to facilitate the introduction or entrance of the approximately right-angled shoulder 5 of stem 3 into channel 4 and into its working place between walls 7', against end 9 of slot 6 and can '0 no farther. The walls 7 stand up so rigidly t at they confine hook 2 toits open right-angled position for use, and there isno lateral looseness or play thereof whatever. It will be observed that this locking of the hook C as to both these movements is confined wholly to plate 0 and its own struck-up side walls 7 in combination With the stem of the hook, which is so constructed as to be engaged laterally by said walls and to stop sharp againstthe end 9 of slot 6. In this connection it is also to be further observed that the board A is flexible and can be bent or flexed away from plate 0 more or less, as may be found desirable, when it comes to drawing the hook down to ass locking-shoulder 5 into channel 4 throug orbeneath lip 8. This appears in Fig. 2, where board A is bent away'from plate C, and the said shoulder 5 is shown as in or beneath 1i 8, from which a further pull of the hook wi 1 bring said shoulder into slot 6 between walls 7, and board A will flex back again. Having the plate 0 engaged with board A at its sides facilitates this operation.

where it also rests From shoulder 5 back the stem has an in clined portion 10, which forms the back of said shoulder or projection. i

The channel or groove 4 is practically as deep as the stem of the hook, and the hook proper, 2, and bend 5, forming said shoulder, lie in the same plane, so that when the parts are fixed for shipping both hook and bend 5 will lie flat against opposite sides of board A, Figs. 1 and 4, and prevent any possible injury to the board A by reason of injurious projections here or there.

It will be further noticed that stem 3 has a single stop-shoulder 5 and that the end of' said stem above said shoulder is inclined from the point of said shoulder back into axial alinement with the said stem. Hence when the hook is in use, Fig. 3, shoulder 5 engages in substantially hook fashion on stop 9 at the bottom of slot 6. The flare 8 at the upper end of channel or groove 4, in conjunction with the flexible board or plate A, enables shoulder 5 on stem 3 to pass into the top flared portion of channel 4, and the flexing or bending of part A is necessary even with flare 8, because there must be inward accommodation for upper inwardly-inclined projection 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2. I

What we claim is 1. A new article of manufacture, consisting of a flexible board, a bill-hook having a stem with a single right-angled bend between its ends and its upper extremity inclined inwardly from said bend, and a sheet-metal plate fixed to the back of said board and having an inside channel for said stem from top to bottom provided with an open slot be tween its ends, the said slot having outwardlyprojecting parallel side walls from end to end adapted to bear laterally against the bend in said stem and hold the hook firmly in working position.

2. In bill-files, a flexible board, a metallic plate having ears integral therewith oppositely at its edge engaged through said board and looked thereon and provided with a vertical channel inside midway between said ears, said channel having an open slot with outwardly-projecting parallel walls at its sides, in combination with a bill-hook in said channel having a single right-angled bend adapted to be engaged on its sides by said walls to prevent lateral play of said hook, and the said bend forming a shoulder adapted to seat upon the lower edge of said slot.

3. A bill-file having a flexible board, a sheet-metal plate fixed to said board at its edge and provided with a struck-up channel having an open-walled slot between its ends and an outwardly-flared lip at the entrance to se id channel, in combination with a billhook having a single right-angled bend in its stem adapted to be drawn into said walled slot beneath said flared lip, and the upper portion of said stem inclined from said bendv inward substantially into alinement with the body of the stem.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. WEST. CONRAD J. KORTZ.

Witnesses:

R. B. Mosnn, C. A. SELL. 

